Stellaland Commando

Last updated

Stellaland Commando
SADF era Stellaland Commando.jpg
Active1899-2006
Disbanded21 January 2006
CountryFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Allegiance
Branch
Type Infantry
RoleLight Infantry
SizeOne Battalion
Part of South African Infantry Corps
Army Territorial Reserve
Garrison/HQ Vryburg

Stellaland Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Light infantry Type of infantry

Light infantry is a designation applied to certain types of foot soldiers (infantry) throughout history, typically having lighter equipment or armament or a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought as scouts, raiders and skirmishers—soldiers who fight in a loose formation ahead of the main army to harass, delay, disrupt supply lines, and generally "soften up" an enemy before the main battle. After World War II, the term "light infantry" evolved, and now generally refers to rapid-deployment units that specifically emphasize speed and mobility over armor and firepower. Some units or battalions that historically held a skirmishing role have kept their designation "light infantry" for the sake of tradition.

Regiment Military unit

A regiment is a military unit. Their role and size varies markedly, depending on the country and the arm of service.

South African Army ground warfare branch of South Africas military

The South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910. The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by Boer Commando (militia) forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies. It then fought as part of the wider British effort in World War II, but afterwards was cut off from its long-standing Commonwealth ties with the ascension to power of the National Party in South Africa in 1948. The army was involved in a long and bitter counter-insurgency campaign in Namibia from 1966 to 1990. It also played a key role in controlling sectarian political violence inside South Africa during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Contents

History

Origins

Stellaland Commando can trace its origins back to the declaration of the state of Stellaland.

Stellaland 1880s republic in Southern Africa

The Republic of Stellaland was from 1882 to 1883 a Boer republic located in an area of British Bechuanaland, west of the Transvaal. After unification with the neighbouring State of Goshen, it was the United States of Stellaland from 1883 to 1885.

Operations

With the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek

The Stellaland Commando was originally mobilised on 21 October 1899 to relieve Kuruman from British occupation in the Anglo Boer War.

Kuruman Place in Northern Cape, South Africa

Kuruman is a town with just over 13,000 inhabitants in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It is known for its scenic beauty and the Eye of Kuruman, a geological feature that brings water from deep underground. It was at first a mission station of the London Missionary Society founded by Robert Moffat in 1821. It was also the place where David Livingstone arrived for his first position as a missionary in 1841. The Kuruman River, which is dry except for flash floods after heavy rain, is named after the town.

By May 1900 however Vryburg was itself occupied by the British and the Stellaland Commando withdrew to form up with the Bloemhof Commando. Stellaland then became involved in a guerilla war and this resulted in the British policy of scorched earth in the region where many homesteads in and around Vryburg bore testimony to the onslaught.

Vryburg Place in North West, South Africa

Vryburg is a large agricultural town with a population of 48,200 situated in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality of the North West Province of South Africa. It is the seat and the industrial and agricultural heartland of the district of the Bophirima region.

Bloemhof Commando

Bloemhof Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

During the guerilla phase of the Anglo Boer War, four members of the commando paid the highest price:

  • Johannes Kuhn
  • Hermanus Kuhn
  • Johannes Jansen
  • Hermanus Rautenbach

With the UDF

By 1902 all Commando remnants were under British military control and disarmed.

By 1912, however previous Commando members could join shooting associations.

By 1940, such commandos were under control of the National Reserve of Volunteers.

UDF era National Reserve of Volunteers shoulder tab UDF era National Reserve of Volunteers shoulder tab.jpg
UDF era National Reserve of Volunteers shoulder tab

These commandos were formally reactivated by 1948.

With the SADF

During the Border War in South West Africa, the Stellaland Commando combined with commandos such as Kalahari, Bloemhof, Christiana, Schweizer-Reneke and De la Ray to form an operational company that was deployed to the Owamboland region.

The unit resorted under the command of the SADF's Group 21.

With the SANDF

Disbandment

This unit, along with all other Commando units was disbanded after a decision by South African President Thabo Mbeki to disband all Commando Units. [1] [2] The Commando system was phased out between 2003 and 2008 "because of the role it played in the apartheid era", according to the Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula. [3]

Thabo Mbeki South African politician, President of South Africa

Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (Xhosa pronunciation: [tʰaɓɔ mbɛːkʼi]; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who served as the second president of South Africa from June 1999 to 24 September 2008. On 20 September 2008, with about nine months left in his second term, Mbeki announced his resignation after being recalled by the National Executive Committee of the ANC, following a conclusion by judge C. R. Nicholson of improper interference in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), including the prosecution of Jacob Zuma for corruption. On 12 January 2009, the Supreme Court of Appeal unanimously overturned judge Nicholson's judgment but the resignation stood.

Minister of Police (South Africa)

The Minister of Police is a minister in the Government of South Africa with political responsibility for the Department of Police, including the South African Police Service, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, and the Civilian Secretariat for Police. The current Minister of police is General Bheki Cele.

Charles Nqakula is a South African politician who served as Minister of Defence from September 2008 to 2009. He also served as Minister for Safety and Security from May 2002 to September 2008.

SADF era Unit Insignia

SADF era Stellaland Commando insignia SADF era Stellaland Commando insignia ver 2.jpg
SADF era Stellaland Commando insignia

Leadership

Leadership
FromHonorary ColonelsTo
FromCommanding OfficersTo
1945Cmdt P.D. Haasbroekc. 1951
16 October 1972Cmdt R.F. de V du Plessisc. 20 October 1981
c. 2000Lt Col Dick Wheelerc. 2003
FromRegimental Sergeants MajorTo

Related Research Articles

Bloemfontein City Commando

Bloemfontein City Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Bothaville Commando

Bothaville Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Christiana Commando

Christiana Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Delareyville Commando

Delareyville Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Ficksburg Commando

Ficksburg Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Wepener Commando

Wepener Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Soutpansberg Commando

Soutpansberg Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Schweizer Reineke Commando

Schweizer Reneke Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Rustenburg Commando

Rustenburg Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Smithfield Commando

Smithfield Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Hoopstad Commando

Hoopstad Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Kalahari Commando

Kalahari Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Krugersdorp Commando

Krugersdorp Commando or Kommando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It was active as a part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Lichtenburg Commando

Lichtenburg Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Magdol Commando

Magdol Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Phillipolis Commando

Philipolis Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Potchefstroom Commando

Potchefstroom Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Lindley Commando

Lindley Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

Waterberg Commando

Waterberg Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

References

  1. ↑ Col L B van Stade, Senior Staff Officer Rationalisation, SANDF (1997). "Rationalisation in the SANDF: The Next Challenge". Institute for Security Studies. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2015.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "About the Commando system" . Retrieved 17 January 2008.
  3. ↑ de Lange, Deon. "South Africa: Commandos Were 'Hostile to New SA'" . Cape Argus. Retrieved 5 March 2015.

See also


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.